rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/petition/montclair-needs-a-school-library-program?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-petition-area-montclair-needs-a-school-library-program' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Schools Need Librarians https://actionnetwork.org/groups/schools-need-librarians https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/share_options/facebook_images/000/692/029/original/iStock-1194314281.jpeg Montclair Public Schools employed five School Librarians in 2019. Today it employs none. For 2026-2027 the district allocated 0% of its $160 million General Fund budget to School Libraries, even though District Policy 2428.1 still requires library-media services “under the direction of a certified school library media specialist.” We are asking Superintendent Turner and the Board of Education to make a public commitment to a 5-Year School Library Strategic Plan and to fund its first phase in the 2027-2028 budget. Our children and young adults are in the midst of a Literacy Crisis, with reading scores declining and reading for pleasure collapsing. International data recently highlighted that increased digitalization, longer screen times and falling rates of reading for pleasure have coincided with weaker literacy outcomes. Struggling readers also show significantly higher rates of anxiety and depression, making reading difficulty a mental health risk, not just an academic one. Meanwhile, over many years and under several district administrations, the one program in our schools built to counterbalance all of it was gutted: School Library Programs. Decades of research show that High-Quality School Library Programs led by Certified School Librarians result in improved literacy and academic outcomes across all student groups, but particularly among students who have limited access to books and other resources. Additional benefits include better social-emotional and self-regulatory development and better overall mental well-being. A High-Quality School Library Program could further support the Montclair Public Schools district by providing flexibility to enhance each school’s individual magnet theme, meeting unfunded state mandates (e.g., Gifted & Talented), narrowing our achievement gaps and building & strengthening our community. Since the 2008 School Funding Reform Act, School Librarians have been included in the standards that help define the programs and services that New Jersey deems necessary for students to achieve a thorough and efficient education. School Library Programs form part of the foundation of a well-rounded education, supporting every subject and every student. They are not an enhancement or intervention. School Library Programs are essential to the success of Montclair’s implementation of the science of reading and act as a deliberate counterbalance to the overuse of technology in schools. With the expected implementation of first in the nation information literacy standards, the School Librarian is the professional most qualified to teach media, information and AI literacy. But current laws and regulations have left School Library Programs and School Librarians vulnerable to budget cuts. This has resulted in the complete elimination of School Librarians in the Montclair Public Schools district in 2026. For 2026-2027, the district has allocated 0% of its $160 million General Fund budget to School Libraries. Superintendent Turner and the current Board of Education now have the opportunity to rebuild Montclair’s School Library Program. Add your name to this petition and share it with your network to support School Library Programs in Montclair’s Public Schools. For more information, to receive updates or to join our team visit: schoolsneedlibrarians.com https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/montclair-needs-a-school-library-program